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Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

REVIEW

If you've made the switch to a widescreen display, you've probably already noticed one of the unintended consequences: Your home videos don't look so good on the wider screen, especially when you compare them with widescreen-formatted movies. For all you budding David Leans who yearn to shoot your own Lawrence of Arabia, Sony's DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder is a good way to capture all your exploits for widescreen viewing, even if your choice of adventure is traveling to your in-laws' instead of to Aqaba. The DCR-H90 gives you the option of shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio, which is wider than the normal 4:3 and will play nicely on widescreen TVs.

red arrow Read the Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder full review

Company

Sony Corporation

http://www.sonystyle.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $999.99 Direct
  • Weight: 1.3 lb
  • LCD size: 2.7 inches
  • CCD Resolution: 3 megapixels
  • CCDType: Single CCD
  • Video Recording Format: DV Tape
  • Still Image Recording Format: Memory Stick Duo type / MB
  • Battery Life: 2.08 Hr
  • Optical Zoom: 10 times (X)
  • Image Stabilization: Digital
  • Focal Length (Wide): 5.1 mm
  • Focal Length (Telephoto): 51 mm

Bottom Line

With both still-image and widescreen shooting capability, this great-looking camera is a good buy, but video-quality issues keep it from being our top pick.

Pros

Able to shoot standard-definition widescreen (16:9) video. 3MP stills. Built-in flash. Excellent product design.

Cons

Video quality displayed dull colors. Stills were somewhat noisy and revealed aberrations in the details. Menu structure could be better.

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